Family Matters
by repmetsyrrah
Summary: How do you explain the meaning of a real family to a child who's never had one before? Oneshot.


**A/N:** Written for the 12days_of_clois Christmas challenge, prompt: barn. Set in a comics AU: Chris wasn't sucked back into the Zone after Last Son. This is set about a month after the events of Last Son though I hope you can understand it even if you haven't read that. It's also my first time writing comics-verse so the characters may lean a little towards movie verse but I hope it's a decent attempt.

**A/N2:** Oh, and just to clarify, this is a completely new universe for me so this Chris Kent is not related to my one from _Revelations_, though that one was inspired by this one :P

**Family Matters**

* * *

"Daddy Clark, why do Grandma and Grandpa have two houses?"

Clark turned away from checking the oven to raise an eyebrow in the direction of his foster son, Christopher Kent, who was sitting a the dining room table, looking out the window with a mild frown. "Pardon?" he asked, not quite understanding.

"They have this one," Chris explained, turning to Clark, "and that one out there too." He pointed out the window and Clark moved toward him until he could see the barn outside. "Why do they need two? We don't have two in Metropolis."

"Well, that one's not a house," Clark explained, "it's a barn, it's where Ma and Pa keep they food for the animals and other farm equipment."

"Oh, okay," Chris said with a nod but Clark could tell the seven-year-old didn't properly understand.

He'd adjusted so well to life on Earth, making friends at school and learning how to deal with his powers, that sometimes Clark forgot how strange even normal things like farms were. There weren't any of those in the Phantom Zone where he'd been born and lived until a few months ago when he'd been sent to their world.

He hadn't remembered much of his life until his birth parents, the Kryptonian villains, General Zod and Ursa had attacked Metropolis and tried to kidnap him. Clark had managed to send them back to the zone though, almost losing Chris in the process.

"Why don't I show you it," Clark said, pulling himself out of his memories.

"Do I have to wear my coat?" Chris asked. Even though he was seven he already had all of Clark's powers and wasn't fond of his big winter coat Lois had bought him when the weather had started to cool. It was important he not stand out though, the whole world knew who Lor-Zod, the Kryptonian child from the Zone was and it was vital no one connected him to Lois and Clark Kent's newly adopted son, Chris Kent.

"Not here," Clark relented, "but only because no one else is around, okay?"

"Yes!" Chris grinned and was out the door and halfway to the barn before he'd finished the word.

Clark smiled and speed after him, trying not to go too fast and turn the settled snow on the yard into a blizzard again. He caught up to Chris just as they reached the barn doors.

"What's that?" the boy asked, pointing to the tractor.

"That's the tractor," Clark explained, "we use that to-"

"Oh, what's this?"

"That's a wheelbarrow."

"And this?"

Clark patiently answered every question the young boy had, trying to explain as clearly as he could what everything was for. The boy asked questions after question, most of them very rapid fire, so when he suddenly stopped and stared at a point on the floor with a frown Clark took a moment to catch up.

"What's down there?" Chris asked slowly, pointing to the ground.

Clark refocused his eyes through the floor and realised immediately what had caught his son's attention.

"Let me show you," he said, walking over and lifting up the trapdoor, leading the way down into the cellar.

Chris looked at the ship for a long time and Clark wasn't sure if he should say anything, the younger Kryptonian seemed deep in thought.

Finally the boy spoke up. "It's not the same as my one."

He was right, the spiked ship Clark had travelled across the stars in was nothing like the smooth, circular pod that had bought Chris across the dimensions.

"Your one was made to travel a different way," Clark explained.

"I'm not from Krypton am I?" the boy asked suddenly, turning to his father.

"Why do you say that?" Clark asked.

"I wasn't born there."

"Oh, no," Clark agreed slowly, knowing what Chris said was right but for some reason he felt bad for saying so. "But you are Kryptonian. Like me."

"But not like Mommy Lois."

"No," Clark said slowly, wondering why Chris was asking these questions now, "she's human."

"Because she was born here."

Clark decided to stop this line of questioning before it went too far, he knelt down so he was at eye level with the boy. "Chris, it doesn't matter where you were born- or who to, home is where you make it and family is the people you love, whether you share blood or not."

"Like you and Grandma Martha and Grandpa Jonathan?" Chris asked, with a thoughtful frown.

"_Exactly_ like that," Clark agreed.

"But you still like your real parents though?" Chris asked, and Clark could tell from his tone the question was leading somewhere but he decided to let Chris continue with it.

"Martha and Jonathan Kent are my real parents," he explained, "but, yes, I do love Jor-El and Lara as well, they gave me life and saved me when Krypton was destroyed."

"Oh," Chris muttered sullenly, as if this were the last answer he wanted to hear.

Clark bit his lip, wondering what he'd said wrong. Should he have lied? No, he'd always said he wouldn't lie and even though Chris was young he wanted the boy to trust him. So what should he have said? Not what he did obviously or Chris wouldn't look so upset. "Is something the matter?" he asked cautiously.

Chris shrugged, looking at his feet. "Do I have to like Zod and Ursa?" he asked quietly. "I don't want to, I wish you and Mommy Lois were my real parents."

"We are your real parents," Clark told him firmly, before he could even think if it was the right thing to say. "You are our son."

"But I don't want to have to like Ursa and Zod," Chris told him, clearly upset.

Clark wasn't used to feeling out of his depth. He saved lives on a regular basis without breaking a sweat, hell, he saved whole worlds on a semi-regular basis but put one seven year old boy near tears and he was at a completely loss.

"You can't control how you feel about people," Clark said slowly, hoping desperately it was the right thing. "Zod and Ursa weren't very nice people, yes, they gave you life, but you can't help it if you don't want to like them."

Chris nodded and Clark felt relief flood through him as he heard the boy's heartbeat slow and his breathing even out and he thought about his father's words.

"Do you remember what I told you about tomorrow?" Clark asked after a moment, recalling the several hours he'd spent trying to explain the holiday to the boy.

"It's Christmas," Chris answered quietly.

"And do you remember what I told you about Christmas?"

"I get presents?" Chris answered, this time grinning cheekily at his father.

"Yes, that too," Clark laughed, smiling back, "but above all it's a time to be with your family. That's why we're out here with your grandparents and that's why Lois and I are here with you. Because you are our family."

Chris was silent for a few moments before he suddenly jumped forward and hugged Clark tightly. Clark returned the embrace immediately, wondering how on Earth his parents had survived doing this, being parents, and come out sane.

"Okay?" Clark asked after Chris finally relaxed his grip.

"Yeah," Chris nodded, smiling now.

"Merry Christmas, Chris."

"Merry Christmas, Dad."

* * *

Lois smiled as she watch Chris run over to help Martha with the groceries.

"I know it's impossible," Martha had confessed to her earlier, "but he reminds me so much of Clark at that age, he even looks like him."

Her smiled changed to a frown as she watched the small boy pick up far more groceries than a normal child could carry.

Chris gave her a guilty look as he caught her frown. "Dad said I could use my powers out here because no one could see," he told her, running inside before she could reply.

Lois just sighed and made to follow but she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Someone was in the barn, a very tall, very familiar someone.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked her husband as she slipped into the barn, glad to get out of the snow.

"I was talking with Chris," Clark told her, "now I'm talking to you."

Lois rolled her eyes and swatted him lightly and moving closer to him, to warm up slightly. "Okay Mr. Literal, what were you talking about in here with Chris?"

Clark's face grew more serious at that. "He was asking me about family, about Zod and Ursa. He got really upset." Clark didn't meet her gaze and it was clear to Lois that Chris wasn't the only one who'd been upset by the conversation, though he certainly hadn't seemed it when he'd run past her.

"He seemed fine a few seconds ago… can't say the same for you. Are you okay?"

"Yes," Clark answered too quickly. "I mean…" he sighed, "no…I just… every time something like this happens I step back and think, 'what on Earth am I _doing_?' Chris is such an amazing a special kid and I'm not sure I'm worthy enough to raise him… why are you smiling?"

His question just made Lois' smile all the wider and she couldn't help leaning up to kiss him soundly. "Because," she told him, when she pulled back and he was still recovering, "the only thing that could ever worry me was if you never doubted yourself as a parent at all. God knows I do."

"It's just… With, my job, my responsibilities as Superman, the League and the world… I just thought it was clear I wasn't mean to be a father, and now…" he looked over towards the farmhouse, his face lighting up at what he saw.

Lois followed his gaze and found herself smiling too and she watched through the window as Jonathan lifted Chris up to place the star on the top of the tree. She couldn't help laughing outright as Jonathan took his hands away and Chris remained hovering by the ceiling.

Lois turned back to look at her husband. "When ever you look at him your whole face lights up," she told him quietly, "It's clear to anyone, Chris included, how much you love him."

"Yours does too," he informed her, smiling easier now.

"I know," Lois laughed, "he's my son. And yours, why do you question it now?"

Clark's smile disappeared and he sighed, looking off into the distance at something only he could see, whether it was just his thoughts or something real out of her sight range Lois didn't know, she could only wait for him to come back to her.

"Christmas is a busy time," Clark said finally, "not just because of the stories to write and the presents to buy but for Superman too, the roads are icy and there are more people on them, more people drinking, more people to save, which all adds up to more time away from home." He turned back to her and shook his head. "Is that really good for a child?"

Lois couldn't help raising her eyebrows at that. "Clark, my father spent months away form his family at a time and even when he was back home he avoided us whenever he could. You spend every spare moment with me and Chris, and when you're away Chris knows it's to make the world a better place, and he is so proud of his Dad."

"He is?" If she had been talking to anyone else Lois might have suspected them of fishing for compliments but Clark's question was genuine.

"Have you seen his room?" Lois asked, raising an eyebrow.

Clark blushed slightly at that though Lois supposed she'd be a little embarrassed if someone had papered their walls and filled their room with photos and action figures of her.

"And do you really think a bad father could have made that boy so happy just by talking to him for a few minutes? Bad fathers don't get that sort of reaction. The universe may have made it so you couldn't conceive a child, but it certainly would have been a crime to stop you being a father."

"Really?"

"Well, that and no power in this universe- or any other- would dare deprive Martha Kent of a grandchild to dote on."

Clark laughed, "That's true," he agreed, no doubt remembering the extra batch of cookies or apple pie Martha always managed to "accidentally" bake when they visited, that wouldn't fit in the container and had to be eaten lest it ruin.

Lois smiled with him. "Clark, there are many, many people in this world who shouldn't be parents, you are not one of them."

This time he kissed her, only breaking apart when they heard Martha calling from the farmhouse.

"We should go inside," Lois sighed, mildly disappointed as they broke apart.

Clark lead the way, holding her close he raised a few inches off the ground and glided over the snow to the farmhouse. He set down on the porch and Lois moved to go in but Clark pulled her into another kiss, which she wasn't complaining about.

"Mrs. Kent, don't ever leave me," he whispered, grinning at her in the fading light.

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Kent," Lois told him, smiling back, "I'm not that easy to get rid of."

* * *

Reviews are love!


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